Mold box or pan.



.No. 852,608; PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

e. MATTHEWS.

MOLD BOX 0R PAN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20. 1906.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

\ like, and is particularly designed for use in length of time, inasmuchas the air does not have access to the under surface thereof.

which,

2 is an end view thereof opened up,

' GEORGE MATTHEWS, OF RIGA, MICHIGAN *MOLD 50x OR PAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed August 20, 1906. Serial No. 331,228.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be-it known thatI, GEORGE MATTHEWS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Riga, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Mold Box or Pan; and I do herebydeclare the following to 'be a full, clear, and exact description 0 theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to mold-boxes or pans for the reception andformation of semi-fluid or plastic materials into cakes, bricks, or theconjunction with peat machines for receiving the peat pulp while in aseml-fluid state and forming it into bricks preparatory to being dried,although it may be used as a mold for concrete or other plastic blocksor as a bakin pan for bread, cake, or the like.

Tn the manufacture of peat bricks it has been customary to discharge thepeat pulp, which is of a consistency sufficient to prevent its running,upon boards or pallets, then cutting the cake thus formed into aplurality of sections to form bricks, of the requisite size, and placingthe board or pallet with the bricks thereon away to dry. With thisprocess the bricks dry quickly on the tops and exposed side surfaces,but retain molsture in their bottoms and centers for a considerable Theobject of my invention is to obviate this difficulty by the provision ofa mold-box or pan having a plurality of compartments therein for theformation of bricks or blocks of the required size, which mold-box orpan is operative to release the walls thereof from the plastic orsemi-fluid materialwhereby the bricks may be easily and quickly removedtherefrom and-placed upon the racks to dry.

The operation and construction of one embodiment of myinvention is fullydescribed in the following specification and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the moldbox or pan embodying myinvention. Fig.

and loosely overlap eachother and Fig.

3 is a cross-section on the dotted line .90 a: in Fig. 1 with themold-box shown in open p0- e sition.

Referring to the drawings, 1 1 desi nate the ends of the mold-box, 2 2the sides t ereof, and 3 the portion of the bottom which firmly connectsthe two ends 1 1.

The sides 2 2 are each formed at their ends with wings 4, which lap andlie flush with the outer surfaces of the ends 1 1, as shown, and havetheir bottom edges, as are also the bottom edges of the sides 2 2,securely fixed to the. associated bottom portions 5 5, which are hingedat their inner edges to the contiguous edges of the bottom, portion 3,as shown at 6. Also hinged to the sides of the bottom 01'- tion 3,having a common pivot with the ottom portions 5 5, and connecting theopposite ends 1 1 are the two partitions or inner walls 7 7, whichdivide the box transversely into three compartments, as shown. Theseartitions are formed at their ends with lateral wings 8, which lie flushwith the inner sur faces of the ends 1 1 and each carries a fixed pin 9near its up or edge. These pins project outwardly free y throughregistering segmental slots 10 and 11 provided in the ends 1 and wings4, respectively, contiguous to the wings 8 of said partitions, as shown.The slots 10 and 11 are so disposed relative to each other that when thebox or pan is closed, as in Fig. 1, the pins 9 are positioned at theinner ends of the slots 10 and at the outer ends of the slots 11, orsubstantially so, said slots being of suitable length to permit arequisite opening movement of the two side com artments.

T e compartments formed by the partitions 7 7 may either be leftentireor separated longitudinally into a plurality of divisions ofsuitable size by positioning transverse dividing walls formed of lappingwings 12 and 13 therein, as shown. To each side wall of a compartment isfixed one of these wings sulliciently to prevent a separation thereofduring an o ening s own in Figs. 1 and 3.

The compartments are normally maintained in closed position by theaction of the coiled contraction-springs 14, or other elastic means, oneof which is placed at each end of the box and has its opposite endsfixed to lugs 15 secured to the wings 4 of the sides.

The box or pan is shown as being provided movement of the boxor pan, as

' molding it into bricks, or blocks of conven- I ends of the slots 11 toengage t e air to have free access to all sides thereof.

0 ening movement relative to each other and forces the box open toblocks and permitting .each partition 7 from the sides of the centerblock.

tors Patent, is,-

2 ssaeoe and a parthingedto one side of such body part, a'partitlonhinged to the body part and 1v1d1ng 1t and the hinged art intoapluralit; of com artments, sai a apte on its sides with lifting handles16 and as haw ing its ends and sides formed on their upper ed es withstrengthening flanges 17. a

he 0 eration of my invention in connection wit a peat machine is asfollows :The peat pulp, as it is discharged from the machine, is pressedwithin the several compartments of a mold-box ,orpan, thereby d to avean outward movement relabeing adapted to have an outward movementrelative to both the body part and partition. 3. A mold-box or panhaving a body, hinged side parts, and partitionsseparatin ,the body partfrom the hinged arts and hinged to the former whereby to box or pan intoa plurality of compartments, said hinged side parts beingadapted to beient size. The box is then taken to the drying house and turned bottomside up upon the drying racks. The'peat blocks being. of sufficientconsistency when released to retain their sha' e, the o eratorthen takeshold of the handles on t. e sides of the box and its full extent, orsubstantially so, thus causing the sides 2 2 and attached Wings to openoutwardly from the partitions 77 and said partitions and their attachedwings-too en outwardly from each other, as shown in igs. 2 and 3, thusfreeing the walls of the partitions from the wet the mold-box to belifted therefrom. When the sides 2 2 have reached their limit of outwardmovements relative to the partitions a continuation of the openingmovement will cause the inner the associated pins 9 and move themoutwardly in the slots 10, thus effecting an outward movement of 7,which disengages them ect a relative separating movement of thepartitions.

4. A mold-box or pan. comprising a body, side parts hinged to the body,artitions hinged to the body and dividing t e box 01' pan transverselyin a pluralityof compartments, and lapping wings fixed to the walls ofthe compartment thus formed whereby to divide the box or panlongitudinally into compartments, said hinged side parts being adaptedto be opened outwardly from the partitions andto effect a relativespreading movement of the partitions. I

5 A mold-box or pan having a ortion of its bottom hinged to a relativelyExed portion of the bottom of the box or pan and carryingv a side wallof the box or pan, which wall'is provided at its ends with wings forlapping the end walls of the box or pan, the sa1 end walls and wingsbeing provi ed with registering slots, a partition hinged to the fixedportion of the bottom intermediate the side walls of the box or pan, apin projecting outwardly from each end of the partition and operating inthe said registering slots, whereby an outward movement of the hingedpart relativeto the fixed part of the box or pan will at a predeterminedpoint in its movement effect an outward movement of the partitionrelative to the fixed part, and means for normally retaining the partsin closed position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of two sbscribing witnesses.

, EORGE MATTHEWS. Witnesses O. W. OWEN,

HAZEL B. HIETT.

It is apparent that an opening of the moldbox or pan not only releasesthe walls of the com artments from the molded bricks or bloc s, thuspermitting an easy withdrawal of the overturned box or pan therefrom,but also efiects a s reading of the bricks or blocks relative to eacother so that they lay spaced a art upon the drying racks, 'thus'allowing Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Let- 1. A mold-box or pan having a plurality ofcompartments hinged at their e ges to the ed es of a central compartmentpart the side wa ls of which are movable and form the inner walls of thehinged compartments, the said hinged compartments and their inner sidewalls being adapted to have an outward t e central compartment part.

2." A mold-box or pan aving a body part partition being.

opened outwardly from the partitions and to. e

tive to the body part, and the hinged part ivide the ICO

